A year ago I was at John Maedas house having dinner with other speakers from the Business Innovation Factory conference. I ended up standing in a doorway having a long, deep conversation with a wonderful man that exuded such a calm, deeply caring demeanor that my inner social anxiety in these types of situations was immediately drawn to him. Or perhaps hes just as uncomfortable in those situations as I am and we found an escape in each other, who knows. It was only towards the end of the conversation that I realized it was Doug Ulman who heads the LiveStrong Foundation. He didnt fit the image I had of him in my head. Chris Sacca had mentioned him a few times and said he was an amazing guy, but I pictured someone much older, someone much more aggressive. I mean, the guy had accomplished some pretty amazing things and I didnt expect to see someone probably younger than me (and certainly more fit) and with such a comforting disposition. The thing to keep in mind is that during this time the Lance Armstrong kerfuffle had recently happened, and LiveStrong was now entrenched in a conversation that had little to do with its day to day activities or serving its mission...but still put it on the precipice of a potentially unrecoverable situation due to its association. Thats not to mention the personal hurt, resentment, conflicting feelings, etc. that the workers of the organization and the friends of Lance (of which Doug was both) were all going through. Instead of shying away, Doug addressed it head on, he acknowledged the challenges they faced (and they were many, and huge) but took that transparency to a new level and moved forward with a plan and a community that stuck with him. I think the latter item says more about him than anything else. Doug, our talk and your openness meant everything to me last year. More than youll likely ever know. The fact that LiveStrong not only exists but has a path forward still astounds me. Im proud of you, and cant wait to see the levels you take Pelotonia to. Much love.
Posted on: Tue, 23 Sep 2014 21:43:10 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015